


“It's cliche, isn't it?”

by maybesummer



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26445196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybesummer/pseuds/maybesummer
Summary: In which Akaashi Keiji is forced to go to a concert he never wanted to go to,and Bokuto Koutarou is in a popular boy band.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 4
Kudos: 143





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I'm new to publishing on Ao3 but most of my favourite fics are on here, so I wanted to try too. This is an alternative universe for haikyuu, the main ship is bokuaka. I hope you enjoy! :)

“Why are you in this area?”, I hear a voice say behind me. 

“Sorry, is this a closed off area? I didn't see any signs, but I can leave”, I say, assuming it's some kind of security guy. But then I look up, and see a weird dressed guy with gray parts in his hair.

He tilts his head sideways, obviously confused. “No, no, you don't have to leave. The area probably only locked down after shows.”

I shrug, and take another draw from my cigarette. “You want one?”, I ask, as the guy doesn't take a leave.

“No, no, I don't smoke. Could be bad for the voice.” He chuckles.

His words make me frown. His voice? Why is this guy worried about his voice? Until I realise - he's obviously not a security guy. He has to be part of the band that's playing. 

He must've noticed the realisation dawning in my face, and he starts laughing loudly now. “Let me guess, your little sister dragged you here!”

I shake my head. “Almost. My cousin.”

“Oh. So, what's in for you?”, the guy asks. “Like, she surely owes you something now.”

I take the last draw of my cigarette and put out with my right foot before answering. “Actually, I owed her something already, so that's why I'm here”, I then explain.

The guy nods, his hair moving. A thought shoots through my head - he looks like an owl. That almost makes me chuckle.

“Well, nice to meet you”, I say. “I have to go back or my cousin will think I ran off. I don't want to owe her another thing.”

“Sure”, the owl guy says. “Enjoy the show, though you didn't wanna be here.” He grins widely and waves.

“It's your job to make it bearable”, I answer, and then start walking away. I hear him laugh in the distance.

—

“I thought you deserted me”, Chisaki whines as I get back to our seats.

“Tsk, and give you another chance to have me in your debt?”, I give back and sit down. I let my eyes wander around, and I realise that there's really a lot of people. “How popular is this band?”, I ask.

Chisaki side-eyes me. “They're pretty much the most popular band in Japan. And they even have a good following from other countries, too.”

I nod. “I think I just met one of them outside”, I then drop the bomb, knowing how Chisaki would react.

At first, she's giving me a calculating look. “You're kidding.”

“Nah. He looked like an owl”, I try to describe him, failing terribly as Chisaki starts laughing.

“An owl?! You're being weird again, Keiji!”, she continues laughing.

“Well, his hair was coloured this white, gray-ish colour. It reminded me of an owl”, I defend myself.

She stops laughing. “What?”

“What what?”

“Keiji, you didn't really meet Bokkun?”, she rambles, trying to comprehend what is going on. Phase two. She still doesn't want to believe me. But then, she pulls out her phone and shows me a picture.

I'm a little surprised myself when I see the owl guy on the screen, next to a few other guys. “Yeah, that was him”, I tell her.

“WHY IS LIFE SO UNFAIR”, she calls out loudly, not caring about the people around us.

“Sh”, I make. I look around, but gladly, people don't seem to notice my loud cousin.

“Keiji, what did he say? Tell me all about it!”, Chisaki demands.

I shrug. “There wasn't much to it. I somehow must've entered a closed off area, there weren't any signs though, and nothing was locked, so I don't know. And while I was smoking, he came out and asked what I was doing there, and I said I could also go somewhere else. I thought he was security at first.”

“Oh my god”, my cousin says and she looks like she's about to hyperventilate.

“Well, I then offered him a cigarette, ya know, and he said no because of his voice which made me realise he was not a security guard”, I continue. “And then he asked how I came here, and I said I got dragged her because of my cousin-”

“Did you at least use my name?”, she interrupts.

I frown at her. “Why would I have used your name?”

“So that he'd heard it!”, she sighs and shakes her head dramatically. “Oh Keiji, you can't be helped.”

“You can't be helped”, I reply.

In that exact moment, it got darker.

“Is it starting?”, I ask dumbly.

Chisaki has turned her body towards the stage, not looking at me as she answers. “It's the pre-show act. He's pretty popular already too, though. He'll probably play his own shows soon, so I'm lucky to see him here.”

“Ah“, I make, and I pull out my phone as a first song starts. The guy isn't that bad, it's alright. Just too much pop for me. I prefer music that's more rock.

Chisaki however is enjoying herself as it seems, so I don't worry and check my socials. After a while I look up the band, and then read up about the owl guy my cousin called Bokkun. I don't know why, I'm just a little curious as to who exactly the guy is.

Bokuto Kōtarō, I read. 19 years old singer-songwriter and guitarist.

A year older than me. I try to imagine myself in a year, but I fail terribly. I'm in the last year of high school, and I've yet to decide what I want to study. The teachers are slowly pressuring us more and more to make decisions, but there's just so many things I could do.

I wouldn't play in a band, though. People who do that must be bat shit crazy.

After a few songs the guy on the stage thanks everyone and I take a closer look before he leaves, just to know who I listened to. Tall guy, silvery hair. Long legs. He could probably strangle-

And stop. Not the time for thoughts like that. Not at a concert with my little cousin. Well, she's not that little anymore, but young enough.

The lights become brighter again, and some people start moving around again. “How long until the real concert?”, I ask. “And how long does that last?”

Chisaki shoots me an annoyed look. “About 10-15 minutes until it starts. And the set is about an hour and a half, I think.”

“Ugh”, I make.

“Can you stop? You're ruining it for me”, Chisaki mumbles.

I sigh. “Sorry. I don't know, I'm just bored. Tell me something.”

“Let me tell you more about the band, maybe you won't find them that bad.“ I don't interrupt her, so she continues with sparkling eyes. “Okay, so there's four guys. Bokuto Kōtarō is the one you met, he is one of two singers and also plays bass. He's pretty funny and sympathetic, a lot of people like him best. I like Oikawa best, Oikawa Tōru. He's a singer too, he's the one that mostly sings. Occasionally, he plays the piano, and rarely another guitar. He's super cute. Then there's Tetsurō Kuroo. He's playing the drums. He's super cool too, and quite funny as well. Kuroo and Bokkun are always great during interviews. And last but not least, Iwa-chan, or Hajime Iwaizumi. People call him Iwa-chan because so does Oikawa. They've known each other even before joining the band together. Iwa-chan is more serious, and he's a really talented guitar player. Even you party pooper would like his solos.”

“Chisaki”, I say out of reflex.

“Keiji, I said poop!”, she gives back. “That is not even a swear word.”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. It was out of habit. You should still watch your language though.”

“You swear all the time, come on! And it's not even like our parents are here”, she complains.

“Still”, I say. “I'm landing in hell anyway.”

“We're not christian, Keiji”, Chisaki replies confused.

I chuckle. “We don't know what happens after death. It was basically a metaphor though, meaning I am a bad person anyway.”

“You're not a bad person!”, she disagrees. “I would be so lost without my big cousin.”

“Yes, yes”, I say, not going into the deeper detail. Not the time to tell her I am thirsting over guys.

The lights goes out, and suddenly every girl in this venue is screaming.

“For fucks sake”, I curse quietly as I jumped a little.

Then the lights on the stage go on, and even I feel a little excited. The start of a concert is a very special feeling, the one you would also look back the most. I thought of the concerts I had been to, from my favourite bands and singers, and felt the memories come back.

On stage, there were now the guys my cousin had talked about moments ago. And the owl guy Bokuto. Most people in this venue would have given everything to have been in my situation, and all I did was go back inside. It didn't matter to me.

The first song went by, and the brunette guy who had sung started talking to the crowd a bit. After a few minutes, the second song started, and I suddenly felt chills creeping up my back, when I heard Bokuto sing.

It sounded slightly different from his talking voice, but like an angel. It had the perfect depth without sounding weird. And the song was one with a quicker rhythm, one that I enjoyed better than most pop song.

Chisaki stops singing and looks at me. “This is one is more your taste, isn't it?”

“It's alright”, I answer. “Not something I'd listen to when deciding what to stream. But also not a song I would turn off when it's on the radio.”

Chisaki nods and turns away again, back in her element. I watch her for a few moments. She's really enjoying herself, and I like seeing her happy. She was always on of my best friends when growing up, despite being two years younger and a girl. We just got along, and I was glad to have her around as someone who wasn't older than 40 years.

The song is still going on, and it does indeed have a nice guitar solo. Chisaki was right, the guitar player is talented. But my attention quickly drifts back to Owl guy, who looks pretty damn happy. It must be nice to be so passionate about something. I didn't really have a passion, the things I did were okay, I liked them. Liked playing volleyball, liked writing short stories, liked going to museums. But it wasn't like I was going to die if I didn't. But Bokuto seems to give his all. I must admit, it left me impressed.

The show continues. However, I can't seem to take m, eyes off him, wondering how he found something to pour all his energy into. Also, he isn't all that bad to look at. He's not the type of guy I usually find attractive, but somehow he is appealing. During a calmer song, he doesn't seem to have many parts to play, and he's sitting close to the drummer, them whispering and laughing, almost missing the moment they have start playing again. I find myself chuckling at that, stopping myself in confusion. I usually didn't show my emotions, and people could barely even tell when I was amused, or when I was angry. But here I was, chuckling over two idiots who were distracted during their own concert.

I spend the rest of the concert forcing myself to stare at my phone a little more often. I can't develop a weird crush on this boy band member, that teenage girls were horny for. But I quickly land on my recent search, looking at a picture of Bokuto closer. He's kind of buff, I notice now. And his smile was intriguing. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“I'm gonna go smoke one”, I tell Chisaki, who barely notices.

I have to leave this venue, quickly. Standing outside, I breathe in the fresh air. What the fuck was wrong with me, I wonder as I light another cigarette. It calms me down a little, and I come to the conclusion that I'm just a little confused because I am deprived.

Some time ago, I had a thing with this guy I had met at a volleyball tournament, from another school, and we met a few times after that to have a little fun. But after a while, neither of us called up the other anymore.

“Ugh”, I make and put out the cigarette, noticing that quite a few minutes have already passed. I have to get back inside. Slowly, I walk back in, hearing the music already while walking down the hall. It's not Bokuto who's singing, I notice. I check the time, and I'm pretty positive the show has to be over soon.

Chisaki doesn't even take notice of me coming back and sitting back down again. My eyes are quick to find Bokuto again. But I make myself look at something else, and so the concert seems to come to an end. But then the brunette guy asks the crowd if they want another last song, making everyone scream again. I roll my eyes. Why are they so loud?

The guy continues, telling the crowd it's an unreleased song they will be playing for the first time ever. Everyone gets overly excited again, Chisaki too. She's jumping again, and again, like crazy.

It's a quicker song again, similar to the one I quite liked at the beginning. But it has an even darker touch to it, but not in a way that would be off the band's vibes. And the lyrics aren't bad on this one either. I enjoy it.

However, the song ends, and the guys on stage say goodbye and thank you, and off the stage they are. Chisaki lets herself fall into the chair, still on the high. “Thanks for going with me, Keiji”, she says. “That was the best thing that has happened in my life so far.”

“I had to”, I mumble.

She laughs and softly hits my arm. “Come on. It was still nice of you. Dad would've never agreed to let me go, if it hadn't been you with me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I watch the mass of people slowly gets smaller, some people leaving immediately, some others still talking, taking pictures.

Chisaki gets up before me, which I had not expected. “Come on. Let's go get some food somewhere now. I'm hungry.”

“I'm not paying for you though!”, I make sure as I get up, checking we are not forgetting something. But we still have our phones in our pockets, and our purses, and so we leave.

We walk by the area where I earlier met Owl guy, and it really is closed off now, after the show. It's probably where the band walks off to their bus.

Chisaki eventually notices I'm not listening to her rambling, and grabs my arm. “What'cha thinking about?”

“Nothing”, I shut her out, making her pull a face and stickint out her tongue.

“No-brain-Keiji is thinking about nothing”, she hives back sarcastically.

“I just noticed that the area is really closed off now”, I explain, being annoyed by her.

Chisaki looks around with big eyes. “So that's where you came across Bokkun!”

I just nod.

She sighs. “I am so jealous of you, you know.”

“There's no reason to be. Instead, look up a restaurant close here. I don't wanna drive that long before eating, I'm hungry too”, I tell her and she gets out her phone, clicking around as we walk to my car.

“Got something!”, she says, just as we arrive. “Japanese food, has good reviews, open until midnight, about a fifteen minute drive from here.”

“Sounds good. Make sure you get the route and tell me where to go”, I instruct her as I start the car. “And put on your fucking seat belt.”

“Yeah”, she drags out the word. “Also, see how much you swear?”

“Shut up, Chisaki”, I tell her. There's quite a few cars around us, but luckily, the line moves on quickly and we get on the street.

Chisaki tells me where to go, and shortly after we're standing in front of a sympathetic looking food shop in the first floor of a high building. We go in, and there are barely any people despite the place having good reviews.

“Did I mention the place is still new though? That's probably why there's not that many people”, Chisaki explains in that moment, as if she read my thoughts.

We both order quickly, not being people to take long for decisions. I let Chisaki talk about the concert, only half listening and sometimes throwing in random comments.

After a few good minutes, I hear a loud laugh, and I freeze. Impossible, right? I look up frantically, seeing the owl guy talk to the guy standing behind the counter. Chisaki freezes too, and it looks like her soul is leaving her body.

It's really him, I think. I had to run into him again.

—

After a few moments, owl guy notices me looking at him, and he grins widely. He says a few more words to the guy behind the counter before walking over to my table.

“Hey, hey, if it isn't the smoker!”, he says.

“Yeah”, I simply say.

“What a coincidence”, he chuckles. “Or are you stalking me”, he asks, but it sounds more of a joke.

“Tsk, you wish”, I give back, surprising myself. “You probably have enough stalkers already.”

He laughs, and I can't help but grin too. Chisaki is still just staring at Bokuto. She probably can't process what was happening.

“Yeah, right”, Bokuto answers. “How bearable was the show though?”, he asks curiously.

I shrug, surprised he remembers what I said so exactly. “It wasn't as bad. Not something I would have chosen to go to, but I didn't have to cover my ears.”

Once again, Bokuto laughs loudly. “Then I'm glad. Tonight was a pretty good show.” For a moment, he's quiet, but then he continues, his voice more quiet. “Would you guys mind if I sat with you? None of the guys are coming over tonight, and I don't wanna sit at the counter with Osamu being mean to me.”

I blink a few times, more than surprised. I give Chisaki a quick look, who looks even more dead than beforehand. The poor girl.

“I can't see why not”, I answer, and Owl guy sits down on one of the free chairs.

“What song did you guys like best tonight?”, he asks. “It was fun to play the last one. I was a little scared before that it would suck, but people really enjoyed it.”

“I liked it, a lot, too. It was fun”, Chisaki now presses out and I give her a teasing look. Luckily, she's not being all that weird, and isn't screaming into the guy's face.

“Right?”, Bokuto agrees, and suddenly I'm convinced this guy isn't human. How does he just act so easily, around anyone? And he always seemed energetic and like he was enjoying himself.

He chats a little with Chisaki, without me saying anything. It's just about the show, about the songs. Nothing I could have taken part in. I don't even know which songs are the subject as I don't even know the names.

However, Chisaki excuses herself and leaves for the toilet, probably to calm down a little more. Bokuto turns to me. “What's your name?”

“Akaashi Keiji”, I introduce myself.

“Akashi”, he repeats, pronouncing it slightly wrong.

“Akaashi”, I correct him.

“You're quiet”, he says, ignoring my correction.

I shrug. “That's just my personality.”

He laughs. “Give me your number.”

“What?!”, I reply.

Bokuto grins. “Come on.”

“Why would you want my number?”, I ask, more than just confused.

He shrugs. “Why not?”

“That's... so random”, I comment.

“And? What about it?”

I give him a confused look. “I don't get it, really.”

“Is it so bad that I want your number? I just want to make a new friend”, he answers and tilts his head to the side, the way he did when I first saw him. I watch his hair move with the movement.

I sigh. “What do I have to lose?” I start dictating my phone number, and he types it into his phone.

“Thanks”, he says, smiling widely. “You're not from Tokyo, are you?”

“A suburb, basically”, I answer. “How'd you know that?”

“Dunno”, he gives back. “Just a guess. You don't seem like you're in the big city daily.”

“It's not like I'm from the countryside”, I say. “I'm in the city a lot when I have games.”

“Games?”, he asks. “What do you play? Or let me guess. Hm, you don't look like a basketball player. Maybe soccer. God, this isn't as easy as I thought.”

“Volleyball”, I interrupt his babbling.

“Ohh”, his eyes light up. “That's cool! I played during middle school, but stopped when I started high school. Was too busy getting bugged by Kuroo. What's your position?”

“Setter”, I say shortly.

“Cool!”, he calls out. “I was a spiker, you know. My teachers told me I could become an ace if I continued, but ya know how that went.”

“Sounds like you were good though.”

He laughs. “Not really. I'm not a good loser, and I think I was pretty annoying for my team. Maybe that's also one of the reasons why I never continued.”

We stop talking as the food arrives, and Chisaki is also back from the toilet shortly after. Bokuto talks to the guy again, Osamu, he said earlier, I remember. They must know each other quite well.

“I eat here a lot”, Bokuto now says, confirming my thoughts. “I live around here, and cooking is damn hard.” He laughs. “I hope you guys aren't gonna screw me over and tell people, I really don't wanna move because of people coming to where I live.”

“Don't worry”, I say. “I don't even know anyone interested in that, except for her”, I point to Chisaki. “And I'm sure she's not that stupid either.”

“Ey!”, she protests. “Of course I'm not stupid.”

“Yeah, yeah”, I agree. “Sometimes a little, though.”

Bokuto chuckles. “You guys are pretty close, it's nice.”

“Not always”, I mock Chisaki, who starts pouting.

“I'm not that close to anyone from my family anymore”, he says.

How can he just tell people things like this? It's like this guy doesn't care that he doesn't know us. He treats us like good friends. It's kind of nice, still. People as easy-going as him are good to be around. It means I don't have to put an effort in.

“But I've got my friends, and they're better than any family”, he chuckles. “More annoying, too, though.”

Our conversation dies out a little after that, as we're all still eating. 

“You know what”, Bokuto says, “that food's on me.”

“No”, I answer simply.

He pulls a face. “Yes. I have the money. And I had a lot of fun with you. I dislike eating alone, so this was nice. It's on me.” While talking, he looks more serious again, so serious that I sigh and agree.

“Alright.”

He jumps up, a grin on his face, going to pay. I look after him, wondering why I find him and his personality so interesting.

“It's nice of him”, Chisaki says.

I look back to her, realizing I was really staring at Bokuto. “Yeah. Also, good job, not freaking out completely.”

She chuckles. “I was close.” Her fingers are tapping a rhythm on the table, something she does a lot. “Say, Keiji, aren't you surprised he recognized you?”

“Kind of”, I mumble. Of course I was. Then I remember how he asked for my number, and I can't help that I feel my face heaten up. I just pretend nothing's wrong, and that Chisaki doesn't notice.

It works, or maybe it doesn't, and she chooses to ignore it - at least she doesn't ask. “Keiji”, she says instead. “Tonight was fun, right?”

I nod. “Yeah. More than I thought it'd be.”

Chisaki smiles. “I'm glad.”

“Alrighty, all paid”, Bokuto says as he comes back.

“Thank you”, Chisaki and I say at the same time.

Bokuto laughs. “Did you practice that?”

“No”, I say. “Of course not.”

“Right, right”, he says and sits down again.

“We'll leave soon”, I decide, and Chisaki jumps up and excuses herself. I'm used to it, she always goes, no matter how long or short the drive is.

“Thank you for paying”, I say again, as it feels weird to just sit there.

“You're welcome”, Bokuto answers. “I enjoyed getting to know the smoker guy a little better.”

I raise my eyebrows. “What were you doing out there anyway, that short before your show?”

Bokuto looks at me, and I feel like he looks right into my inside. “I felt like I needed to catch some air. I sometimes have to get out before shows, to calm myself down. And today was like that. Something deep inside of me wasn't going to calm until I went outside.”

I just nod.

“Almost like it had to happen, right?”, he chuckles, amd there's a undertone in his voice that is giving me goosebumps.

“I'll go now. Say bye from me to your cousin. And I'm expecting replies when I text you.” Bokuto stands up. “I hope I'll see ya soon. I'd treat your for food anytime.”

My eyes widen at those words, and I'm blushing harder than earlier. “What-”

“Bye, Akaashi.” He smiles once more, and then he's gone.


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished the second chapter! I didn't expect it to take so long, but I always ended up writing scenes that will come up much later in the storyline... oh well. I hope their text messages are recognisable, I don't know if my formations are copied or not. But for now, hope you enjoy <3

It's almost 1 am when I'm ready for bed after driving Chisaki home, getting home myself, and having a shower. I throw myself onto my neatly made bed from the morning, trying to sort the events a little.

However, I quickly get distracted when I grab my phone and see the notification say: 1 new message.

I wait a second before unlocking my phone, unsure whether I'm hoping it's from Bokuto or not.

It's him, I realise as I unlocked it. My heart beats a little faster and I groan because of it. For fuck's sake, I don't even know the guy.

I start with saving his number, my fingers dancing above my keyboard as I wonder what to type. In the end, I just go for Bokuto. I didn't know him, and naming him owl guy felt a little rude.

1 new message from Bokuto, 11:41 pm:

Heya Akaashi, did ya get home safely?

Yes, I type out and send it before I can overthink it.

He reads the text as I still look at the new chat.

Glad to hear that! :)

I'm horrible at texting, I realise as I wonder if and how I can possibly reply to this. But then Bokuto texts again, solving my dilemma.

You have a free day tomorrow?

I read it a few times, wondering how this could possibly continue.

Yes, I type again.

You're even worse at texting than at normal talking.

I gasp as I read Bokuto's text, though I know he's right. I furiously type a reply: No need to call me out on it.

He sends a laughing emoji, and it's like I can hear it.

You wanna come into the city in the evening? I have another show, but in the afternoon. I'd like to hang with you again

Sighing, I turn onto my stomach. Do I want to see him again tomorrow? Yes, a voice says inside of me.

Why not, I answer, and decide to add another reply. What time, what place?

Cool!! 5pm, at the restaurant from yesterday?

I smile. That's alright with me.

I watch Bokuto type, and the message arrives shortly after.

I'll see ya!!

I stare at our chat a little longer before exiting. I then decide to search him again. I look up if there's anything bad he's done, but I find nothing. I end up scrolling through his Instagram account, seeing many pictures of him during shows, posts of him and his friends. Sometimes, I can almost hear his voice as if he was saying the things from the captions. I stop at a picture of him at a show, jumping up.

I stare at it for a long moment, taking in all the little details.

With every second passing since I first heard his voice, he gets more and more attractive to me.

"Argh", I groan frustratedly. It's stupid, isn't it? He's just some guy. No big deal. Maybe a friend.

I know nothing about him, how am I liking him already? At least a little. I turn off my phone. I need to get him out of my head for now.

-

The next morning, I wake up with my head on my phone. I sigh. There's definitely marks in my face, so I can't get up immediately.

As I turn onto my back, I check my phone for the time. Almost ten. I slept long. I also see a new message, but as I want to open it, my phone tells me it wants to be charged - of course, it was in my bed the whole night. I groan and get the charger.

I yawn while unlocking my phone again. It's Bokuto. Of course. I don't get many texts.

Don't forget about this evening!! :)

I won't, I text back. I turn off my phone and get up.

It's Sunday, but noone's home except for me. My parents are on business trip, they're coming back on Tuesday. When I was younger, they'd be home on the weekends, but ever since they can leave me home alone, they're barely around. It's the reason why I can go to good schools, so I should probably be grateful. But it's not that easy. I sigh and check the fridge. It's enough for today, especially as I'm not home tonight, but tomorrow's lunch could be extremely sad if I don't go grocery shopping.

After eating breakfast, I grab my three things and leave for the shop.

I can't wait!

Bokuto's message makes me smile a little. I'm kind of excited too. I barely go out, though I don't dislike it. I just don't have many close friends I could hang out with. I don't have many friends in general.

Me neither. I like Tokyo.

I stare at my reply, wondering if I can get better at texting - I do suck at it. But I don't have much time to overthink, as I reach the story.

When I arrive back home, I still have no text back. He must be busy. He said they still have a show in the afternoon. I quickly search it up on google. The show starts at 2pm, of course he's busy already. It's after 11 now.

I decide to go outside and lay down on the porch. It's probably one of the last sunny days for a while as winter approaches.

I doze off for a while, not minding anything I should probably be doing, like studying, or starting with figuring out what I want to do.

When I wake up, it's after three. "Fuck", I mumble and get up. It's not that long of a drive to Tokyo, but long enough. So I start getting ready, take a shower, getting dressed. I have a message from Bokuto, but I don't text back. He's on stage now anyway, I guess.

Aw, and here I was hoping you'd be excited to see me.

It's stupid anyway, and sounds flirty. It makes it harder to estimate him. He's probably not flirting with me anyway.

It's after four pm when I'm on my way. I'm more lucky than I thought, and the drive goes by quite smoothly. I arrive on time, seeing Bokuto already standing in front of the restaurant, typing on his phone.

"Hey", I say and stop next to him.

"Hi", he answers, and smiles widely. "How have you been?"

"It's barely been a day", I reply. "It's not like much could have happened."

"A lot can happen in a short time", he says. "Let's go inside, I'm hungry!"

"Sure", I mumble and follow him.

"Hey 'samu!", Bokuto greets the guy behind the bar, who waves back.

"Weren't you two here yesterday too?", the guy chuckles. "Who's that guy, Bokuto?"

"This is Akaashi! New friend."

I smile politely. "Hi."

The stranger nods. "Nice to meet you. You two can sit in the back, if you want. There's not that many people."

"Thanks. Just bring us your best food", Bokuto answers and starts walking away. 

"All my food is good!", the guy calls out, and Bokuto laughs.

I follow him to a table and sit down. "How was your show?"

"Good, but not as fun as yesterday. I don't know, playing a song for the very first time hits different. It makes everything a little brighter. Oh, and I didn't find a cool guy smoking in the outside area", he chuckles.

I raise my eyebrows. "Cool?"

Bokuto grins. "Come on. I feel like you're fun."

"Yeah, whatever."

Bokuto looks at me with disappointment. "Akaashi!"

"Knock, knock", I say jokingly.

He looks at me in confusion. "What?"

"You said you think I'm fun! So a joke it is", I explain, and can't help but laugh.

So does Bokuto. "Shit, I should've said who's there, right?"

"You could've. It's not a funny joke anyway. Who even enjoys Knock, knock jokes?", I wonder, playing with my fingers.

"Kuroo does", Bokuto says. "My bandmate. The black-haired."

"There's two of them with dark hair", I tell him.

"Oh! Right", he laughs. "I don't even know my best friends. I meant the drummer. He laughs at all kind of stupid jokes."

"The drummer", I repeat. "Weren't you guys distracted by talking during that one song?"

"Yeah, we were", he admits. "Kinda of embarrassing. That's definitely gonna land in all of the YouTube videos."

"Being famous must be hard", I tease him, but at the same time I'm also a little serious about it. I wouldn't want to be looked at by so many people.

"I dislike being called famous", Bokuto says. "It's not like the whole world knows us. I don't wanna be that kind of person. I'm happy with the way it is. I wouldn't change much about the current situation. Though you're right, sometimes it is hard."

"Hm", I make.

"What about you? What's your life plan?", Bokuto asks.

I sigh. "I don't know. For now, I'll have to decide what to do after graduation."

Bokuto blinks a few times, and I watch the realisation hit him. "You're still in school?"

"Yeah?", I say, as if he should have known.

"Oh dear. But you're 18?", he asks.

I nod.

"Holy shit, you had me scared for a second. I didn't even think you could still be in school. I kind of assumed you were older than me", Bokuto exclaimed. "Probably because Kuroo and everyone else made me feel young. And because you smoke."

"Yeah, well, surprise", I give back dryly.

"So, you're in a high school volleyball club", he realises. "I need to stop assuming things. Though you being a professional volleyball player would've been cool. Imagine that!"

I shrug. "I don't like volley that much. It's just a hobby. I never felt the rush of excitement that others talk about. Maybe I might continue playing if I had this passion."

Bokuto smiles. "Aren't you stressed? Graduating and all? You surely have to study for exams, right? You shouldn't be here", he teases me.

"I don't care. I haven't figured anything out anyway. And I'm lucky enough to be going to a good high school. So it won't be that hard", I phrase it carefully. I should be lucky for that. My parents' work is part of the reason why I'm lucky. But it never made me happy.

"You seem confident", Bokuto chuckles.

We're interrupted by a whole bunch of food arriving. Bokuto's eyes start sparkling as he sees it and it's funny to watch.

He thanks for the food, and so do I. We eat quietly at first, both of us hungry.

After a while Bokuto speaks up. "D'ya wanna watch a movie after? There's one I really wanna see. Kuroo talked about it earlier."

"Why not", I agree. "What movie?"

He starts explaining, gesturing around. I don't really listen, but instead just watch him. He's cute.

I sigh, almost inaudible. I needed stop letting every cute guy have this much power over me. I haven't known Bokuto for much longer than 24 hours, and yet I feel like I have to be right here, staring at him. And he doesn't even notice. He's just talking, and doing his thing.

I don't talk much while we finish eating, trying to sort myself out. Falling this quickly isn't a good idea. But Bokuto's attractive and his smile is making me smile back. Not easy to stop myself.

-

The lighter clicks, and clicks, but no fire. I sigh and try again. Finally, it works and I light up the cigarette.

Bokuto is sitting on a wall close to me, his eyes on me. "Akaashi, why do you smoke?"

"What?", I question.

"I'm just curious. What made you start?", he asks.

I shrug. "A classmate dragged me into it. And it makes it easier to skip meals when I'm being lazy", I reveal.

"That's so unhealthy", Bokuto states with a big frown on his face. "Also, does that mean you started before it was legal?"

"I'm pretty sure I implied that, yes. Don't be so surprised!", I say to him.

"You know, if I hadn't met you while you were smoking, I wouldn't have believed my eyes", he chuckles. "You don't seem like the guy to be a smoker."

"Yeah?"

He nods. "You seem like a good guy with good grades, who cooks for his younger siblings."

I let out a chuckle and move around the almost gone cigarette between my fingers.

"But at the same time, you couldn't be anything else than what you are. The quiet, mysterious, hot guy, a little uninterested, a little rebellious-"

"Rebellious?", I repeat, ignoring the fact he also said hot. "What?"

"Aw, a little! The smoking! For example", he answers. "And you like, you know, have that whole don't-care attitude."

I breathe out loudly, letting the cigarette drop. "I don't see it, but thanks."

"Huh?", he makes while standing up.

"Thanks. You described how I want to seem. Unapproachable. And also thanks for the compliment on my looks", I grin.

He definitely blushes. "Yeah, well. Good looking people have to be appreciated."

I snort. "Now you're going too far."

Bokuto laughs. "Yeah, right?"

He starts walking off, and I follow him. I don't give an answer to the last thing he said. Instead I end up wondering if this band guy is continuously hitting on me or if it's just how I want it to be - I wouldn't mind it. Which probably means I'm reading too much into the things he says and does.

"There's the movie theatre", Bokuto calls out after we walked a block and points to a building across the street. We wait at a pedestrian crossing for the light to turn green.

When I shoot Bokuto a look, he's already looking at me. He smiles when he notices, his frown from moments before gone immediately.

The light must be green, the other few people around us starting to cross the street. But somehow Bokuto and I just stand there, like we're glued to the ground. It's in that moment that I realise all over again that I don't even know him well, and yet I feel so close to him. Like we belong right there, looking at each other. Like it's exactly where I'm meant to be.

We both only look away when we hear tires screeching and cars honking. Nothing has actually happened, but I use the opportunity to shake off the weird feeling.

"Haha, we missed green", Bokuto chuckles. "Seems like time wasn't frozen after all."

I don't say a word. What is there to say? I have to get my thoughts straight again, and stop thinking that there's some weird chemistry between us.

Bokuto goes quiet too, and we keep quiet until it's green again, until we crossed the street, until we stand in line for tickets.

Bokuto asks for two tickets, but I chime in.

"One for him, and one for me. I'm paying my own", I protest.

He pouts. "Come on, Akaashi."

"Nope", I give back. "I'm paying for myself. I don't care if you have money. I have my own."

The young woman selling the tickets gives us an annoyed look. "Hurry up."

Friendly much, but I get it. People fucking suck.

I hand her the money for my ticket despite Bokuto looking insulted. He eventually pays his own too, and we walk away.

"D'ya want drinks? Popcorn?", Bokuto asks. "Let me at least buy you that."

I shrug. "I don't really need something, really. And you really don't have to."

"You're so boring", Bokuto groans.

His eyes are wandering around, checking the crowd. It's only now that I notice I walked with him into one of the darker corners, with less light. He's constantly aware of his surroundings, of the people. He doesn't want to be recognised.

I decide to use this against him, to distract him from me not wanting him to pay for anything in the cinema. He already paid food two times - once even with Chisaki.

"You don't like to be recognised in your free time, right?", I simply ask.

Bokuto's eyes dart to me. "Am I that easily to read?" He chuckles. "Well, I guess. It's my free time. I don't mind, usually. Most fans are really nice, it's not that. It's just... I always feel like someone's watching me. Like there could be pictures of me here everywhere on the internet in five minutes."

"I see", I mumble.

"And I don't really want them to see you. There's no need for the crazy fans to look up all they can about you", he adds, scratching the back of his head. "I lost some friends because the fans would start to annoy them. Messages... stuff like that. Oh, and the fans love jumping to conclusions."

"Conclusions?", I ask dumbly, realising what he means as I ask.

"Whoever I hang out with, whether a woman or a guy, they're potentially my partner", Bokuto answers with a sigh. "It's like they forget friends exist. And again, the crazy fans...", his voice trails off.

"Yeah", I speak up. I know what he means.

We start following the little crowd then, knowing the movie will start soon. We search for our seats.

When we're sat down, Bokuto looks at me seriously. "I know we just met, so maybe you'll end up deciding you dislike me anyway, but please don't let the fans scare you away."

I chuckle. "Alright."

"Seriously!", he calls out quietly.

"Yes, yes." I still have a grin on my face, making Bokuto narrow his eyes.

"Whatever", I add. "Don't worry about any of that. If anything scares me away then it's your want to invite me to anything." I'm still teasing Bokuto a little, but internally a weird feeling is taking over me again. I start playing with my fingers to distract myself. My fingertips tap against those of the other hand.

"What's so bad about that?", he protests. I look up to him, but his eyes are glued on my fingers that are still going in the same old rhythm.

"Or...", he starts, but stops. Eventually he looks up. "Does it make you feel weird because it has date vibes?"

I blink a few times, processing what he says. He's kind of right, but also wrong. "That- No-", I try, but I struggle to find the right answer immediately.

"I just like treating my friends for things", he grins widely. "It makes me happy."

"I know", I say sharply. No date vibes.

Bokuto's brows furrow. "But?"

"What but?", I press out, still trying to get back to the me who knows what to say. "I don't feel uncomfortable because it has date vibes. I know this isn't a date. None of this. I just don't want to feel like I'm the kind of person who can never give something to someone."

He leans back, straightening his back and crossing his arms. "I see. I can understand that.But you'll have to get used to being treated for some things, if we continue hanging out."

I want to answer something, but then the movie starts and I have to keep quiet or people'd be mad.

Bokuto's gaze is fixed on the movie immediately anyway. I try to concentrate on the happening too, but my thoughts wander off a few times. A few times I find myself looking at Bokuto. I was really reading too much into it. In the second half of the movie it gets a little easier for me to follow and it ends surprisingly quickly.

As the end credits roll over the screen, Bokuto stretches. "That was pretty good", he exclaims and grins widely.

I nod. "Yes."

"I never thought it'd end like that though", Bokuto starts rambling. I barely listen, just enough to throw in reactions from time to time. I'm too distracted by the way he looks - like he's genuinely having fun. He must be enjoying his life a lot. I find myself smiling at that thought. Maybe this weird friendship with this guy would really not be bad.

"D'ya wanna do something else now?", Bokuto asks. "Please don't say you want to leave me already!"

I shrug. "Alright. My teammates will hate me if I'm tired at practice tomorrow, but whatever."

Bokuto grins excitedly. "Yay!", he says and nudges me.

"Ow!", I make. "Violence!"

"You can punch me, if you want", Bokuto offers.

However, we both start laughing and don't stop until we're outside. Some people look at us walking out of the cinema, but we don't mind.

We just walk into the direction we came from, continuing to talk about the movie now until Bokuto frowns and pulls out his phone.

He presses his lips together. "Ugh, why did I know", he mumbles, barely understandable before looking back to me. "My bandmate called. I have to call back real quick. It might be important for tomorrow. And I can't call him all that late..."

"All good", I tell him.

He doesn't walk away or anything, just lets the phone dial while pulling a grimace. "Kuroo?", he asks after a few seconds. "What is it?"

"I see... Yeah. Okay. I'll listen to it... I'm with a friend. Yes. No. No! Kuroo! ... Yes, half an hour earlier. I didn't forget, you just told me! Yes. See you then", I listen to Bokuto's call.

"Sorry again", Bokuto says as he puts away his phone. "But I have an idea what to do now. Let's go."

"And where are we going?", I ask. "I don't wanna be murdered", I joke.

Bokuto chuckles. "Don't worry, I won't lead you to the basement. Just the normal apartment."

"Oh, so you have people in the basement?", continue my joke.

" 'course", Bokuto continues, one eyebrow raised. "At least a million."

"Only?"

"Akaashi!", he falls out of role, laughter shaking him.

I join him, wondering why his laugh has to be so contagious.

We walk by the restaurant like this, trying to contain our laughter.

"So, this is it", Bokuto eventually says. "Obviously all my apartments, filled with the people I lure here. Because I really want people to know I live here."

We walk in, and there's a guard packing his things. "Ah, just in time before you've to close up, right?", Bokuto calls out to him and waves. "Good night, Miura-san!"

"Thank you, Bokuto-san", the guard answers, waving back.

We don't have to wait for the elevator. I watch Bokuto select a number - 18 - and then typing in some code. His apartment must cover the whole level. It doesn't surprise me.

Bokuto's quietly humming a melody, drawing my attention to him. I recognise one of his band's songs, one they played at the concert. Possibly a more popular one. The elevator stops with a soft 'ping' and the doors slide open. The hallway is basically just a small room, with a small closet. Bokuto takes off his shoes here, gesturing for me to do the same.

He opens the door with a key card, reminding me of a hotel. But it's probably just easier.

"Feel at home", he chuckles as he holds the door open and I walk in.

"Thank you", I answer politely. I walk into a big room, obviously a living room. There's a table, big TV, usual things, some cupboards. On my right I see a modern kitchen, and some more doors, probably the bathroom and Bokuto's bedroom.

There's also two big glass doors, obviously leading out on a balcony and I step closer to them, admiring the city. The skyline shines in front of me, and it seems endless.

"I regret not getting a window front", Bokuto says. "They were renovating the building when I bought the apartment. All made for me", he chuckles.

"It's pretty cool", I mumble, still staring down. "I like big rooms like this one."

"Right? Me too", Bokuto chuckles. "Feel free to sit down."

I nod and turn around. It's easy to recognise where Bokuto must usually sit. I choose the side on the left and sit down. I can still look out of the windows now, but I mostly see the sky now.

"D'ya want a drink?", Bokuto asks, still standing in the middle of the room.

"I'm fine", I answer. I still look around, taking in details. It's a nice apartment, sometimes a bit messy but still clean. It's just that the things seem as if they're not where they're supposed to be. There's a cable in the corner, there's a stack of books and a stack of vinyls on a shelf, but in the shelf there's gaps.

"Alright", Bokuto says. "I need your help."

I watch him get a laptop out of a drawer and setting it on the table. He sits down exactly where I thought, making me feel triumphant.

"What kind of music do you exactly listen to?", he asks casually.

"Rock", I answer simply. It's of course not that easy, but is it ever easy to describe your music taste? There's always songs you like from completely different genres.

"Okay, so", he starts, "our band, we've been trying out a little bit different things recently. Just for us, for now. But it's kind of a mess we're still trying to sort out. Kuroo sent me some new versions... we were in the studio on Thursday and Friday, and now we need to find where we need to inprove parts, what to do different. Sometimes it's helpful to have a completely different person listen who wasn't involved in the process so far."

"Sure", I shrug.

Bokuto grins widely and starts a song. The laptop must be connected to a sound system, as music starts swelling up.

I listen closely, mostly noticing the guitar. I remember the concert just yesterday, and how much I had enjoyed some of the guitar solos. So far, there's no singing, just the music, and we're about a minute in - and just as I realise that, the voices come in. My eyes widen, it's good, it's genuinely good. Louder than the songs I heard from this band before, shinier, piercing. A song with the potential to leave you breathless.

And then it ends.

I process the song. Bokuto watches my reaction, and I feel like he doesn't know what to expect.

“It's not bad”, I hear myself say, and want to hit my head against the table immediately. I liked the song, I enjoyed it. Not bad? It was good. It was a song I would listen to again.

“Oh”, Bokuto makes. I notice how his body relaxes, and I wonder if he was nervous about my judgement.

“I quite like it”, I tell him now. “The guitar was great.”

“Right? Iwa's so talented”, Bokuto agrees, his voice sounding excited. “But is there anything you found unfitting?”

“Hm”, I make, leaning forward and resting my chin on my hand. “The ending is so suddenly. Maybe you could... let the singing last longer. It comes in late, it'd fit.”

“So that it's like it's delayed!”, Bokuto exclaims. He types quickly, probably noting down the suggestion. “Anything else?”

“Not really.”

Bokuto nods with a wide grin. “Ready for another one?”


End file.
